AI Damage1989 Eagle Summit: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Eagle Summit filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 12
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 67% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
- 3 Seats 8% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 8% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 8 complaints (67% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (17% of all).
- Seats: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Visibility: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 12 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Failure of the driver's and passenger's side seat belts, consumer was involved in a head-on collision and the seat belts did not lock, resulting in injuries.
I had problems ever since I bought this car, which was in exchange for a trade-in. This car was $200 exta dollars worth of problems that I never got resolved. I bought into a great deal of frustrations and headaches over a simple resolve. They saw me coming.
The driver seat frame broke at the weld to the auto body. The rear left side closest to the door was where the weld joint broke.
The car was parked the owner went to start the car and the car backfired and fire started. Tt
A piece of plastic broke off seat belt lock and remained lodged inside, causing seat belt to fail.
Particles seemed to be stuck inside takata seat belt buckle; does not engage leaving occupant unrestrained. Tt
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 10,160 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 28% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Summit has 24 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 12, below average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Eagle Summit?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, engine and cooling, seats. Total complaints: 12. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (33%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Eagle Summit?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1989 Eagle Summit from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1989 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.